Taquan Mizzell's frustrations sum up struggles of U.Va.'s inexperienced team

Norm Wood, nwood@dailypress.com

It might have been just one carry, but Taquan Mizzell's 36-yard run last Saturday in Virginia's 35-22 loss to Duke was an example of what he'd hoped to do all season, but wasn't able to accomplish.

All of the blazing speed and burst of quickness he was advertised as having coming out of Bayside High in Virginia Beach was on display for the first time during the run. Though it took too long for it to happen in Mizzell's opinion, it was at least a fleeting moment of football bliss in what has been an otherwise frustrating freshman season.

He has plenty of inexperienced teammates that share his frustration.

"(The run) was a great breakthrough for me," said Mizzell, who missed two games and wasn't back to 100 percent until the Duke game after spraining his ankle a month and a half ago in the second game of the season. "The line gave me a great opportunity to make a play. Coming back off an injury, I just wanted to get going.

"With the opportunities that I get, I just want to show them that I can make plays, be a game-changer, a home-run hitter."

Heading into Saturday's game in Charlottesville against Georgia Tech (4-3, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), half of U.Va.'s projected starters are true freshmen, redshirt freshmen or sophomores. U.Va. has had 11 true freshmen get playing time this season, which is the 12th-most in the nation.

Wide receiver Keeon Johnson, right tackle Eric Smith, defensive tackle Donte Wilkins, linebacker Max Valles and cornerback Tim Harris are all true freshman starters. Redshirt freshman receiver Kyle Dockins also is a starter. All six players have moved into starting roles within the past three games.

Another 14 true freshmen, redshirt freshmen or sophomores are No. 2 on the depth chart at their respective positions, including Mizzell. Sophomore starting quarterback David Watford, a Hampton High graduate, has thrown eight interceptions and just five touchdowns in his first season as a starter.

Injuries to some of those young players and inconsistent play by others have contributed to putting U.Va. (2-5, 0-3) in the unenviable position of having to win four of its last six games against Georgia Tech, No. 9 Clemson, North Carolina, No. 7 Miami and No. 16 Virginia Tech just to get bowl-eligible.

It's interesting to note that while the youth movement hasn't worked at U.Va., Virginia Tech has gotten off to a 6-1 start with five of its own true freshmen in the starting lineup. Of course, Virginia Tech also has had the advantage of having one of the most experienced defenses in the nation — something U.Va. doesn't have — around dynamic true freshman starters Kendall Fuller and Brandon Facyson.

Prior to the season, Mizzell had great aspirations of making the kind of true freshman impact achieved last season by Miami running back Duke Johnson, who had 947 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns to go along with 892 yards on kickoff returns and 221 yards receiving. Mizzell's balky ankle brought those plans to a halt.

"It set me back pretty far," said Mizzell, who has 27 carries for 109 yards and 11 catches for 48 yards, and who is tied for No. 2 tailback on the depth chart with junior Khalek Shepherd behind starter Kevin Parks. "That was my first time having a huge injury to the point where I had to miss a couple of games.

"With the injury, I couldn't control that much. Knowing that I got injured like the second game of the season, it kind of did hold me back a little."

Getting Mizzell, who also returns kickoffs, healthy could open up some options for U.Va.'s offense and special teams that haven't been present much of the season.

"He's a guy, whether he's in the (I-formation), you throw a bubble pass to, toss sweep, whatever it is, he's a dynamic player," said U.Va. coach Mike London, who added the coaching staff needs to do more things to make sure Mizzell gets the ball in his hands as a receiving threat out of the backfield.

U.Va. wide receivers coach Marques Hagans, another Hampton High graduate, knows something about being a frustrated young college player. During his redshirt freshman and sophomore seasons, he split time at kickoff returner, quarterback and wide receiver.

Though Hagans was happy to be on the field, he would've preferred to spend his time exclusively at quarterback. Playing so many positions meant he had a lot to absorb, and he struggled before becoming U.Va.'s starting quarterback in his junior and senior seasons. Hagans has shared his own experiences with some of U.Va.'s younger players.

"I definitely just try to be encouraging and let them know that I have been in some of their shoes at a time in my career," Hagans said.

"Even though at that moment it may not look like exactly what you envisioned, or how you hoped things would play out, you've just got to continue to fight and get better because each day you don't take advantage of getting better somebody else does."